


Close to You

by Uriel_Ignatius121



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angels and Demons, Animal Death, Body Horror, Child Death, Demon Summoning, Demon!Reyes, Ghosts, Gore, Guardian Angel!Mercy, Haunted Houses, Infant Death, Jack is just trying to live a life of semi-normalcy, M/M, Occult, Owl Demon!Gabriel Reyes, Rural farmlands are isolated and eerie, Song Lyrics, Songfic, i like messing with her too much, if you are a big Mercy fan... she's not gonna have a fun time in this fic, just lots of people and farm critters dying, more like dying but was revived
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-08
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2019-01-31 02:52:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12666768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uriel_Ignatius121/pseuds/Uriel_Ignatius121
Summary: ====================- just like me, they long to be close to you...The voice in the basement grew louder as Jack walked further into the house, mesmerized.Tears were streaming down Mercy's face and her throat hurts from shouting Jack's name over and over again - she knows he can't hear her, he can only hear thatthing.====================After ignoring His Will and defying the Order, Mercy is stripped of her Guardian Angel status and powers - forced to remain a spectator to the life of a young boy growing up in a small farming town in Indiana...





	1. Angel's Cry

**Author's Note:**

> I know I should be working on other things... like I promised, but school just started again and I am dealing with some stuff - so I am partially vent writing.
> 
> Here's something spoopy as a post-Halloween treat. I was kinda hoping for that "Are You Afraid of The Dark" cheesy campfire story feel, but with a little extra elements.

**Chapter 1: Angel's Cry**

 

 

 _This can’t be happening! No! NO! NOT LIKE THIS!_  
  
Mercy’s golden wings flutter in panic and fear. Through the viewing window, she was watching over little John Ernest “Jack” Morrison Jr. as he struggles to breathe in the neonatal incubator.

Nurses come rushing in with the bag valve mask and the emergency cart, a few doctors shortly followed after.

The Guardian Angel quickly flew into the room to hover over the nurses and the doctors, her thoughts were towards her charge, Gwendolyn Adams-Morrison, the struggling babe’s mother who was still recovering in her room a few doors down _._  
_  
_ -After struggling with a miscarriage and fertility issues, she doesn’t deserve this!

  
Little Jack was breathing again, but shallowly and just a bit too slow - _not good!_  
  
_Where is his Guardian? They’re suppose to be here!_  
  
Mercy looks around the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit glaring at the other Guardian Angels beside their own newborn charges whispering prayers and singing lullabies into their little ears.  
  
_My Gwen can’t handle another loss like this! Her poor little heart can’t… just can’t-_  
  
Mercy thinks back to those horrid nights of her Gwen just crying herself to sleep, alone in their apartment while her husband remains indifferent to her pain, traveling back and forth to the family farm down south, an hour or two away from Bloomington.

John Morrison’s mind constantly deep in thought about the future of the farm without an heir to follow his footsteps as his own father faces his mortality, a pressure point he keeps putting on Gwen whenever the harvest season comes.  
__  
The nurses below her start moving frantically, doing chest compressions on the small fragile body. __  
_They’re losing him..._ Mercy can see the little light that was his soul weaken and flicker, like a small candle-  
__  
The distant sound of black wings echo down the hall. The Angel of Death is not an uncommon visitor of these sterile halls, _but they can’t take Jack… not now!_ __  
__  
A warm energy starts growing in her chest. Her halo glows bright, catching the attention of the other angels around her. __  
__  
_He’s not my charge, but…_ __  
_I’m not allowed to interfere, but I can’t let him die, I can’t let Jack die! Gwen needs him-_ __  
__  
Mercy can feel the other Guardians look at her, she can hear their pleas and cries, they know what she was planning to do- __  
__  
_You Must Live, Jack Morrison!_  
She slowly dips down into the small makeshift cradle, her large golden wings made of light and energy encompass the entire room - wingtip to wingtip, coming face to face to the small infant.

**_On the day that you were born the angels got together._ **

**_And decided to create a dream come true._ **

Mercy’s lips move soundlessly, murmuring a lullaby, a prayer, a wish.

She puts a small kiss on his head, allowing some of her energy to pass over to Jack’s soul, bringing the small spark into a blazing flame of life.

Her energy moves like water, originating from her core, flowing past his pale lips and tiny nose into his dysfunctioning lungs - inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale…

She may just be a Guardian Angel, but she is one of the oldest. Her Divine energy alone is not enough to defy the Order, but she is determined that Death will not claim this soul today-

She continues to whisper a small lullaby for him, both in a human language and in a tongue that is older than Creation itself. She raises her hands together in prayer, gathering matter from all around her to form the needed ingredients to strengthen her power.

**_So, they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold_ **

**_And star-light in your eyes of blue._ **

In Mercy’s left hand - Dust collected from the exact moment the Earth was formed, on the first ever Day of Existence.

Tiny particles of the Earth’s moon as she crashed and broke apart to gain her shape. Bits of rock that has,had the potential to carry, sustain humanity - but it’s too cold and remains lifeless.

She let her fingers caress the tiny head, barely enough hair that the young babe wasn’t completely bald.

In Mercy’s right hand - Fragments of a dying star, the very star that shines outside and gives light to the world, captured in broken glass, captured in a moment that happened, will happen eons and eons into the future, on the Day of Judgement.

A star eternally imploding and burning in a glorious presentation of exploding light flares and bursting sun beams.

Carefully, carefully, with her thumb she rubs the shards into Jack’s eyes.

She feels the little heart getting stronger with each compression, with each beat... _lub-dub-lub-dub_.

She can see him now, little Jackie all grown up - tall and strong, with wild golden wheat colored hair and eyes as blue as the sky above.

_Yes! Yes! Oh Jackie!_ Mercy cries, she did it - she has done the impossible and the forbidden.

The nurses and doctors declare the baby in a stable condition once again. One nurse stays behind to observe him further, another goes out of the room to inform the family - while the rest go on to continue their other duties.

As Mercy begins to follow the nurse leaving the room, time freezes. Mercy knows this overwhelming feeling, the cold chill in the air.

The imposing figure of Azrael stands before her, with their blacker than black wings and robes made of the starless night sky. Their golden eyes stare deeply into hers before closing them and letting out a deep, tired sigh, their fingers run through bone white hair.

_‘What have you done, little one?’_ Their face expressed deep disappointment and sadness.

_His Guardian wasn’t here yet and he was dying and I-_ Mercy sank down to the floor and kneels before the Angel of Death, pleading and begging.

_‘There was no Guardian Angel assigned to the young infant because his life was supposed to end exactly 10 minutes ago, I came here to pick him up - but lo and behold, a Guardian Angel playing God!’_ Azrael ranted, letting out another sigh, but this one is of exasperation. ‘ _I don’t have time for this!’_ Their golden eyes began looking at the other Guardian Angels watching the interaction unfold.

_She didn’t listen to us, Dear Azrael! We tried to stop her!_ The other angels began pleading as well, praying that the elder angel will not unleash their wrath upon them. Azrael raised their hand and the room was silent once again.

_‘Mercy, I shall deal with your punishment myself - be rest assured that it is fair and just… I simply don’t have the time to schedule a full trial for your transgression against the Lord’s Will and the Order, consider yourself blessed.’_ Azrael explains as they stare down the other Guardians.

_‘This does not leave this room, this is my only warning…’_

Azrael’s words were grave and final.

Mercy begins to feel the chill in her core get colder and colder, her wings feel heavy like stone.

_‘Your powers shall be taken from you, I strip you of your Guardian status.’_ Azrael’s six black wings raise and extend, absorbing all the light in the room - leaving their halo alone as the only source of light, like a beacon.

_‘Neither can you further interfere with the mortal realm nor make contact with your fellow angels in Heaven or Earth.’_

Hot tears fall from Mercy’s eyes as she stares at her brothers and sisters cowering at different corners of the room.

_This is banishment, an angel with no powers or connection to the Father’s Holy Palace..._

_‘All that remains of your power is whatever you have cast upon the infant child, you will get it back once his soul is returned to me, but that will take a couple of lifetimes...‘_ Azrael smiles at Mercy’s weeping form, slowly kneels down to her level and gently wipes away her tears.

_‘Do not fret, little one! Your new job is to watch over the soul that you have personally forced to exist on Earth - a simple observer with no ability to guide or intervene…’_

_W-what is to happen to my charge?_ Mercy has never failed her charges before, she has made sure that they have all lived happy lives of no regrets, she kept them all safe from the horrors of the world - but now, she has failed her.

_‘She is not your responsibility anymore,’_ Azrael stands tall once more and pulls out a small tablet and writes something down on it.

‘ _A replacement Guardian will arrive shortly, it’s not like she will notice or you can speak to either your replacement or your charge…’_

Mercy begins crying once again as time moves forward.

The Guardian Angels around her have continued their previous actions of watching over their infant charges, giving Azrael discreet glances but never once looking at Mercy’s weeping form on the floor - she was invisible to them.

_‘I guess that is all for today, I have wasted enough time...’_ Azrael says out loud, mostly to Mercy than to themselves.

They stretch out their wings once more as if to take flight before stopping abruptly and their golden eyes look sternly at Mercy.

 _‘Watch that soul carefully. May it fall into the hands of anyone from the Hellish Court, there is no going back - you may never get your powers back or return back to Heaven,’_ Azrael says with a lazy shrug as they fly off.

The fluorescent lights glare brightly once more in the NICU, the small humming of different machines - beeping of heart monitors and hissing of mechanical ventilators fill the room, drowning out Mercy’s small sobs.

 

* * *

 

A starry-eyed Gwen brings home a healthy sleeping baby Jack back to their apartment later that week. John is smiling from ear to ear at his baby boy, happy for the new addition to their little family. All was right with their world... for the first few months.

John and Gwen start having The Conversation again as she talks about returning to her job at the Accounting Firm.

“My mother has done nothing but prepare that old house for us to move in eventually,” John explains to Gwen as she rocks Jack to sleep.

“The farm won’t last long without a Morrison tending to it. It has been that way for 3 generations-”

“We have a good life here in Bloomington! **I** have a life here, a good paying job, this is a great place to raise our son!” Gwen interrupts him, careful not to raise her voice too loud as to not upset Jack.

“John, Why can’t your brother-”

“Because he is nothing but a liar and a scoundrel! He will just gamble all the money away and sell the farm to pay his debts,” John growls.

Everyday he thinks about his older brother, he keeps waiting for him to come to his senses and come back home, to be part of the family again.

The last time he has heard from Charles Morrison was 12 years ago when he left for college and ending up dropping out to go to Vegas instead of becoming their father’s apprentice, the ungrateful shit.

“He hasn’t even visited in the past decade, running off to parts unknown while our father is slowly wasting away…”

“Lower your voice, John…” Gwen shushes him as she carefully hugs Jack closer to her, the little baby still is unaware of the fighting and tension around him. “You’re upsetting Jack.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” John mutters as he kisses his wife on the cheek. “Just… the farm is my family legacy, **his** family legacy - I can’t let it fall to ruin.”

Gwen looks at him sadly, she did marry a farmer’s son - the second son, though… but this is what John’s life was going to be, and she made a vow to be with him through everything.

“When Jack’s a little older, darling…” Gwen murmurs sweetly as she kisses him back. “We’ll move to the old house, when he’s a bit older.”

“Thank you.” John whisper back as he hugs his wife gently, their son in Gwen’s arms, sleeping soundly.

Mercy, who floats quietly above the small family, feels dread bubbling in her chest.

* * *

 

When Jack reached the age of 2, his grandfather, Jonathan Morrison passed away.

As accordance to his Last Will and Testament, the house and the surrounding farmland was to be given to his son, John Morrison. Charles was removed from the will entirely.

Gwen and John mutually decided to start moving their things into the old farmhouse a week after the funeral.

Mercy agrees that there was nothing wrong with the farm per se - but rather the French Provincial style house next door was the issue. She remembers back the few times Gwen visited John’s family when they were dating and during the engagement that the house never stayed occupied for long, after a few months it was always back in the market.

“The old Lacroix place is vacant again,” Gwen notices as they drive by it on the way to the Morrison’s farm. She remembers meeting Alex and Cris Dela Cruz who just moved in when she was planning her wedding a couple of years back. The couple were also newlyweds planning on starting a family in quiet, remote Indiana.

“Yeah… Alex and Cris moved out three years ago,” John slowly eases the truck into the path towards the house. “Forgot to ask why, they were just welcoming their little one and two days later they decided to move.”

“Aww... I assumed little Jackie would have some playmates nearby…” Gwen takes a peek at Jack from the rearview mirror, he was busy gnawing on the ear of his plush rabbit.

“A bunch of kids live uphill,” John says reassuringly. “The Colomars have a niece that visits every now and again who has kids around Jack’s age, Michael and Sarah from high school just had a kid - He’ll make lots of friends, no need to worry…”

“Alright, alright… I get your point.” Gwen takes another look at the old blue 2-story house.

As she thinks back, 3 years has been the longest Gwen remembers it being empty -  and it shows.

The rose bushes outside have run wild, as well as the grass. The blue roof shingles have been falling apart.

It has been called the Lacroix place for a long time, no matter who moved in, because of the fancy bronze nameplate on the brick walls surrounding the area, the original owners were husband and wife from France who had the house built years and years ago.

The house never felt like a happy place, something always seems so off about it.

It always looked abandoned even when people were living in it.

According to John’s parents something happened there when they were little, something horrible happened to the Lacroixs that horrified the sleepy farming town into silence.

There are rumours of course, like old ghost stories of dancing phantoms and shrieking spectres, realtors will obviously deny them and those old enough to have seen the event are all hush-hush, they dare not speak further in case they invoke something dark.

Mercy watches the house with a concerned eye.

It has been so long since Gwen has been here that Mercy almost forgot about the Lacroix house, and the few times that Mercy passed by the house, it generally just radiates dark energy.

- _Always common with houses that have history to them…_

But she was never close enough to properly investigate.

Gwen has never entered the house when it is empty, and even when she was invited in by the current homeowners. They all just stayed by the living room, so it was never a concern for them whatever was in the house, in the other rooms - _The poor couple still trapped here after all these years_ …

Mercy always made note of the third presence, deep in the basement.

It was a weak thing back then, and it always hid from her - like whenever she sensed it, it would hide itself away.

But now… she can feel it pulsate with sinister energy, writhing and breathing… _alive, it feels so alive_.

With her powers gone, the thing in the basement is finally making itself known.

A sudden pulse of intense malice hits Mercy in the chest, like a cold fire that burns and pierces her very essence - _It knows, it knows that I am powerless! whatever it is, it knows!_

Mercy flies into the truck and sits beside Jack in his babyseat, tucking her wings close to her body. She wraps her hands around the toddler, who remains ignorant to his Watcher, hugging him close.

Despite no longer able to contact Heaven, she prays for protection and guidance - Mercy is unsure if it’s for Jack or for herself.

 

 

 


	2. Monster's Lullaby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack's first encounter with the residents of the Lacroix House.

 

**Chapter 2: Monster's Lullaby**

 

“Who was that on the phone, dear?” Lauren Morrison called out from the kitchen to her son who was  across the hallway in the living room.

“That was just the vet,” John says, stifling a yawn as he settles himself on the comfortable couch.

 

“They were asking if it was okay for them to reschedule that appointment of ours…”

“Oh yes! Old Beth is expecting again, isn’t she?” Lauren cooed at the thought of a new calf roaming the farm, she had no green thumb whatsoever - but she adored all the animals on the property and was always excited for any new litter of pups and kittens, or new arriving colts or calves.

“That’s right, I’m planning to have the vet come over to make sure everything is doing a-okay…” John begins checking his cellphone for any messages.

Lauren enters the living room area, and starts looking around.

 

“John?” Lauren walks towards the window by the big apple tree to look outside.

“Yeah, ma?” John looks up from his phone to look at his mother who is now going back and forth to different windows in the living room area.

“Where’s Jack?” She asks almost frantically.

“Outside in the garden with Gwen…”

“No, Gwen went upstairs just a while ago… she said Jack stayed outside to look for you-”

 

John immediately stands up from his position on the couch and goes out the front door.

“Jack? Are you out there?” He calls out only to find a pile of abandoned toy cars by the entrance of the house.

 

A few feet away, at the very edge of the Morrison’s farm, 8 year old Jack carelessly kicks around a soccer ball.

Mercy flittering around him pleading for him to go back, even though she knows she can never connect with Jack, not in the way Guardians and charges usually communicate.

 

_Jack, I can hear your father calling… Jack! It’s not safe to be so far from the house on your own!_

 

Jack suddenly kicks the ball a bit too hard, sending it over the fence and beyond the property, it bounces once more and over the brick wall it goes - into the garden of the Lacroix house.

 

“Damn, Pa is going to skin me…” Jack mutters to himself. He had to get that ball back,  this was the 3rd one this month - the first one got ran over by the tractor while the last one Jack left it at Olivia’s and her mom accidentally took it with them back to Dorado.

 

He had to get this ball back.

Jack was still small enough to crouch under the fence and he quickly makes his way to the house next door, Mercy follows behind him - there is nothing she can do but watch.

 

Jack has always been curious about this house for as long as he can remember. It was such a striking sight to see from his bedroom window: the cold gray stone wall covered in thick vines, big windows with shattered glass, and the unkempt garden below - the tall brick wall and imposing gate to complete the house’s look.

 

He has never been this close to the house before, despite living right next for a really long time - he finally saw the bronze nameplate: **_Lacroix_ ** \- written in the fancy curly writing.

 

Nana had forbidden Jack to play too far out of the property - especially to go out of said property without his parents or one of the farmhands nearby knowing. Jack never understood what the problem was and whenever he asked, his nana would start shaking and muttering to herself and Jack decided never to ask again.

 

The big iron gate was rusted shut and covered in prickly vines. Jack tries to look through the bars to find his ball - and even if he did find it, there was still the issue of going and getting it back.

 

Jack eventually spots the ball by the rose bushes near the front porch of the house.

 _Now… how do I get in?_ Jack carefully takes a hold of a few vines, making sure to avoid the bigger thorns.

 

He tugs and he pulls as hard as he can, a few thorns cutting into the flesh of his hands - it wasn’t that painful, Jack was used to a few cuts and bruises here and there.

Most of the vines were very old and dead and crumbled easily, enough fall to the ground limply that the gate was now loose enough to just need a good push to open.

 

Jack was determined in getting his ball back.

Mercy watches in horror as Jack pushes the gate open to enter the abandoned property. She tries hard to reach into her being for any semblance of energy, even just the smallest bit to guide Jack away from the house - but alas, Azrael took enough that Mercy is completely helpless - a voiceless spectator.

_Jack… Jack please… please…_

 

Mercy’s pleas fell on deaf ears as Jack makes a beeline for the rose bushes where the ball had ended up on.

Jack was about to pick up the ball when Mercy’s wings ruffled and fluttered as she felt a sudden spike of energy from within the house.

 

Through one of the broken windows on the second story of the house, music started to spill out - soft and far away.

It sounded like it was coming out of those really old radios, rough and static-y but the tinkling piano was still identifiable and melodic.

 

Jack looks up, trying to find the source of the music - that’s when he sees _her_ by the window.

It was only the briefest of moments - but her image was something you don’t easily forget.

 

She was horribly pale, translucent even, with blue-black veins webbing all over her skin.

Almost from head-to-toe, she was covered in bright red blood. There was enough blood to matte her long black hair, making them stick to her face.

Splashes of blood were all over her beautiful face, as well - highlighting the sharp angles of her nose and cheekbones and putting a little color on her plush lips.

 

But it was her eyes - her eyes that looked straight into Jack’s that gave him a cold chill down his spine and what felt like a block of ice form in his heart.

 

They had an inhuman golden glow to them, like the unholy light from Hell itself set them ablaze.

Madness was in those eyes - feral, predatory… and filled with hatred, so much hatred. Jack is frozen on the spot, his soccer ball was still on the ground.

 

Unknown to Jack, Mercy’s grip on his shoulders tightened. It was the banished angel those hellish eyes were looking at. At her very core, Mercy feels fear sink their claws deep.

_Why? W-what is going on… what is-_

 

Before Mercy can fly up and investigate, the lady by the window tilts her head slightly and gives Jack a wild smile before disappearing into the house.

 

Back when Mercy was still a Guardian, she has seen the ghost of Amélie Lacroix a handful of times - but always from a distance, dancing from room-to-room in that cold, unloving house. She never truly meant anyone harm despite the actions she made when she was still among the living.

Her ghost took the shape of a memory back when Amélie was a cherished and beloved ballerina in Paris, lost to a song playing only to her, waiting for a partner that never comes.

 

Her form in the past was never this gruesome or monstrous and she never looked or regarded Mercy in such a way, _Is that thing in the basement doing this to her?_

 

It wasn’t unusually to see or feel the presences of a lost soul and a malevolent spirit or two, but because of her Divine presence as an Angel of the Lord they avoided Mercy and her charges.

But with her powers gone, Mercy is very unsure and afraid of what is stopping the spirits of the Lacroix house from attacking her and Jack - and she doesn’t wish to find out any further.

 

But Jack was still standing firmly in place, unblinking and unfazed, staring at the house despite Mercy’s constant pulling and coaxing.

_Jack, please… Let’s get out of here! Please, Jack…_

 

The loud creaking of the front door as it opened caught both Mercy and Jack’s attention. It only opened just a tiny enough crack for the music and the accompanying voice to leak through.

 

Unlike earlier, the sound wasn’t as clear, it was very muffled but the song was still recognizable.

Jack knows this song, it was the song his mother sang to him when he was in bed with the flu that one time.

 

 _Something, something, birds and falling stars_ , Jack thought as his body begins sway in time with the music, almost hypnotized by the rich masculine voice singing about dreams and moondust.

 

The angel was quick to grab Jack’s arm when he started to approach the house, trying to stop him from getting closer.

For a moment she felt Jack register her touch, a miniscule twitch in his fingers as her grip on his arm tightens - she can almost feel it, the quiet and distant hum of her powers deep within Jack’s soul.

 

Mercy giggles maniacally at the thought that finally, _finally_ she can connect to Jack, that she is once again, in some form, a Guardian - _his_ Guardian.

 

A strong gust of wind causes the door to open wider and the musky smell of blood and sulfur escape from the darkest belly of the house.

The foul stench causes Mercy to choke and falter a bit, her hold on Jack loosens and he is once again fixated on the door and on the voice.

 

With a frustrated cry, she starts roughly pulling and pushing Jack away - her movements losing their usual grace and poise.

Golden wings fluttering furiously, feathers ruffling and a few fall off.

She feels a hundred eyes watching her, observing her from within the house, she ignores them - but the sensation makes her skin crawl still.

 

Jack was now walking the steps of the front porch, a hand outstretched as if to reach out to whoever is singing. His blue eyes wide with wonderment and curiosity about the owner of such an angelic voice.

 

With the front door wide open, Mercy can finally see the interior of the house, but there was only darkness to see from within - despite the very bright sunny weather and broken windows.

 

Mercy can feel her nails digging deep into Jack’s skin - but he does not feel them and they leave no mark on him. The voice from within the house continues to sing its song, getting louder and more audible to her.

 

The inky darkness embraces Jack as he steps into the house, crossing the threshold. Shadows that look like claws wrap themselves around the young boy and the angel - planning to drag them deeper into the house.

 

She is screaming Jack’s name, trying to drown out the singing, but the connection she felt with Jack earlier was no longer there.

 

 **\- just like me, they long to be close to you...**  
The voice in the basement grew louder as Jack walked further into the house, mesmerized.  
  
Tears were streaming down Mercy's face and her throat hurts from shouting Jack's name over and over again - she knows he can't hear her, he can only hear that _thing._

 

But Mercy continues to call out to Jack - to save him, to save her from whatever is trapped deep within the house. The smoke-like claws are wrapped tightly around Mercy’s arms, pulling and tugging her to step further into the living room of the house.

 

_I-I can’t… not like this--_

_JACK! JACK, PLEASE! JACK! JA-_

 

“JACK!”

 

The loud barking shout of John Morrison startled Jack and Mercy enough to turn around and face him, not noticing the music from the house has stopped abruptly.

 

“JOHN ERNEST MORRISON JR., WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!?! GET OUT OF THERE!” John once again shouts, as he marches to the front of the house.

His long legs quickly shorten the distance between him and Jack. With one hand he pulls Jack out of the house and slams the door shut.

 

“How many times has your nana told you to not to go out of the farm on your own? You had us worried sick when we couldn’t find you...” He scolds his son as they both walk away from the house. John ignores the sudden heavy feeling on his shoulders.

 

Jack almost trips on his feet as he tries to follow his father’s pace. He almost winces as his father had a good grip on his arm, almost forcibly dragging him away from the house. Jack can see his nana standing by the gate, just behind the brick wall.

 

Lauren cries into her handkerchief as she hesitates following her son into the abandoned property. She looks at her son and grandson with tears falling from her green eyes.

 

“Jackie, sweetie!” Nana Lauren cries out between sobs, “Are you hurt? Are you okay? Oh Jackie - I told you not to go off on your own!”

“I’m sorry…” Jack replies, his voice small and barely audible due to guilt. “I didn’t mean to go out, I swear! I just wanted my ball back when--” Jack was immediately caught in his nana’s embrace.

 

“Your mama is a mess back home, thinking she left you all alone…” she muttered between kisses to Jack’s forehead and both cheeks. “Now let’s all go back to the farmhouse and put this horrid event behind us…”

 

Jack notices his nana’s smile looked funny, like it wasn’t exactly a happy-looking smile… and her hold on him was getting a bit too tight to be comfortable. He simply nods as he looks at his father and nana, going back and forth.

 

From a great distance up in the sky, Mercy looks down at Jack as he is escorted away by his family from the Lacroix house back to the safety of his own home.

 

Mercy can tell that her wings are a mess, loose and broken feathers everywhere. As she assesses herself further, she has horrible scratches around her arms and legs. The cuts have a purplish tinge to them and the skin surrounding the wound itself are already in a necrotic state and releasing a foul odor.

 

 _These will never heal,_ Mercy sobs as she wraps her arms around herself. _Stripped from my position and powers, banished, and now marked - Oh Beloved Father, please see my suffering as a form of my penance… that I maybe forgiven and find a way back to Your loving graces._

 

Mercy repeats her mantra as she follows the Morrisons into the farmhouse, Jack is once again caught in another tight embrace but this time from his sobbing mother.

 

Gwen takes Jack into the kitchen to fix him a snack while John and Lauren stay behind and talk.

 

“I am telling you that house is has B-A-D written all over it! Town Hall is better of tearing it down so we never have to look at it ever again!” Lauren explains harshly to her son.

“To be honest ma, I don’t really see what the big deal is?” John says slowly, trying to calm his mother down. “Other than the fact it doesn’t look structurally safe anymore - it’s not worth the hassle…”

Lauren gives her son a very disappointed look as she clicks her tongue at him.

 

“Also, I don’t actually know what happened in there - too many rumours and plain old townsfolk gossip has muddied that truth for decades… Heck ma, you don’t know what happened!”

“I may not have been alive yet to see the events happened - but I remember the fear in your Grandma Alice’s eyes when come nightfall and we see that house by the horizon as we leave the town market…” Lauren tries to keep her voice low as not to be heard by the mother and son inside the house.

“She tells me ‘don’t even dare look at that house, baby girl or the devil will take those pretty green eyes of yours - not a peep from you or the that accursed devil will take your voice away, oh baby girl…”

 

“You’ve never told me that before…” John carefully looks at the house next door.

Nothing much has changed since the last time he _properly_ checked the place out, needs some new roof shingles and some paint… and some good ol’ elbow grease and the house will look good as new.

“I didn’t think I had to… people keep moving into the damned place and everything seemed fine,” Lauren gives a humorless laugh. "But never for long though, they never last - people still kept coming and realtors still keep bending the truth.”

“There’s not much we can do ma, we just make sure that Jackie understands that he shouldn’t be playing too far away from the farmhouse…” John gives his mother a reassuring hug and a kiss on the forehead. “He’s fine, he didn’t get hurt, he’s currently eating apple slices in the kitchen.”

“Alright alright… you know how I get,” Lauren gives him a weak smile as he escorts her into the house.

“Kitchen? I’ll brew you some calming green tea” John gives his mother another kiss on the forehead as the walk side-by-side into the house. From the hallway, they can see Gwen and Jack having a lively conversation about what misadventures that Colomar girl has gotten herself into back in her hometown of Dorado.

 

“That’s sounds lovely” and for a brief moment, Lauren finally feels the quiet calm of a lazy afternoon.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School and my own health are beating the shit out of me so I'll update when I find the time and once my head doesn't feel like it is being stabbed repeatedly with a pen.
> 
> Also! Pacing Issues! Which I fixed by adding more chapters!! SOOOO~ Hope you guys enjoyed this update, leave a comment and click on the kudos button to show some love and support <3 <3

**Author's Note:**

> Since writing is my only happy escape from the hell that is my reality - I will eventually get to finish all the stuff I started...
> 
> Show some love and care by hitting that kudos button and leaving a comment :3
> 
> Check out both my tumblr accounts - my [Silly-jilly-bean.tumblr.com](https://silly-jilly-bean.tumblr.com) and my [devious-otaku1013.tumblr.com](https://devious-otaku1013.tumblr.com)


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